Wedding Guest Book

Hi There!!!  Today I'm sharing the guest book I made last month for our youngest son's wedding. It was a small and simple wedding but oh, so nice!!!  Alina had a beautiful, simple dress.  Tim (and us) wore white shirts and blue jeans.  I wore a blue jean skirt.  Knowing this was the attire I created the guest book to match.  I actually used an old pair of Tim jeans that weren't very worn but had somehow (I don't remember now) got a large rip that wasn't in an area that made trying to fix them possible.  Time was very limited so I went with a ring bound book instead of something sewn together.  I printed their names and the date onto white cardstock and die cut the heart shape plus a larger heart.  I used an embossing folder on the larger heart. The one with their names was embossed around the edges with Ranger's Platinum embossing powder.  The small hearts in the background are texture paste through a Tim Holtz stencil.  I cut out the date and put heart brads on the strip.  They are also embossed with the Platinum powder.  

I cut cardstock for the inside pages and used tape where the holes would be punched alternating between plain Dina Wakley Media Tape and a pretty Washi Tape that matched well with the blue jeans.

Inside the front cover I made a pocket from acetate and put one of their engagement pictures in it.

The inside of both covers has a piece of cardstock with white mulberry paper wrapped around it.  I will be adding a pocket to the inside of the back cover that will have a wedding picture in it.

I'm entering this into the March Mini Album Makers Challenge.  The March challenge is being sponsored by Seth Apter and the prize is a full set of his new embossing powders, Baked Texture.

And some pictures from the day.

 

Too Comfortable

Hello!!!  I hope you are well!!  Thank you for visiting and/or reading this in an email.  I truly appreciate you and your support of my blog!!

Today I'm sharing an 8" x 10" canvas that I've created for the More Than Words Challenge.

As you can see in the challenge image this month's word is Comfortable and the creative challenge is a color combo this time.  For my colors I used mostly PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics.  I chose five colors that came close to the challenge colors.  They are - Hyde Park, Dusty Teal, Chalk, Moon Light, and Amethyst.  I've also used PaperArtsy's Crackle Glaze.  

I painted two coats of Hyde Park onto an 8" x 10" canvas.  Hyde Park is a translucent so it took two coats to get full coverage.  Once dry it was stenciled with Dusty Teal through The Crafter's Workshop 12" Climbing Vine Reversed stencil.  Next Crackle Glaze was scraped on from the bottom working up stopping a bit more than half way up leaving the glaze a little thicker in places and getting very thin as I stopped.  After allowing the glaze to dry for awhile Chalk paint was sponged over it and left to crackle.  Dusty Teal was lightly sponged and rubbed along the area where the Chalk paint stopped to give a more blended look.  Archival Ink Peat Moss (a new Wendy Vecchi color) was sponged through the 6" Climbing Vine Reversed stencil over the lighter area of the canvas and into the darker area just a bit.  I used just a couple of stamps on this project, both Stamper's Anonymous/Wendy Vecchi background images, a text and a splatter image.  I stamped the text with Moon Light paint randomly over the whole front of the canvas and the splatter with Amethyst just around the outer areas of the canvas and on the sides.  

I used two sets of Sizzix/Tim Holtz Thinlits cutting dies for all the greenery and the flowers, Garden Greens and Small Tattered Florals.  The greenery was cut from a darker green cardstock.  Detail and shaping was added to the pieces with flower shaping tools (Elizabeth Craft Designs, Susan Garden Tools and Mats).  On the Ivy looking pieces I lightly sponged some Chalk paint around the edges.  The fern looking pieces were painted with Hyde Park.  Painting some of the pieces gave a various to the colors.  The Smaller leaves were painted with Beach Hut.  The little bit larger leaves were stamped with the Splatter image and Dusty Teal.  For the flowers a piece of white cardstock was painted with Amethyst and then all the flowers die cut from it.  Some of the flowers were then dry brushed on the edges with Chalk and the others were inked on the edges with Distress Ink Wilted Violet.  All the flowers were detailed and shaped with the flower shaping tools.  The canvas was wrapped with some fibers, all the greenery glued on, the flowers assembled and glued on, and Nuvo Crystal Drops (Ivory Seashell) added to the centers.  After drying for a bit, the whole canvas was splattered with Distress Paint Brushed Pewter.  The words were computer printed, cut out, and edged with Wilted Violet Ink.  Finally dots of Cactus Flower Enamel Accents were added.

I really like this!!!  I look at the background and think "Wow! I did that?!"  LOL  I love the greenery and flowers.  And I especially love the message.

I hope you like it too!!

Hugs, Wanda

Happy Birthday

Hello!!  It's wet here in Southern Iowa today.  I'm thankful for that because it's better than snow :-)  It's also good for the fields!!

The background of this card is layers of Distress Oxide Ink.  Over that I've stenciled Transparent Texture Paste through a PaperArtsy stencil.  Happy Birthday is a PaperArtsy stamp.  The butterfly and matching die are Tim Holtz and Sizzix.

Be Brave and Sing

I'm sharing this project over on the Quietfire Creations Blog today.  I hope you have time to pop on over and check it out HERE.

Playing With Seth Apter's Baked Texture Embossing Powders

Hello!!!  I received my order of the new Seth Apter Baked Texture Embossing Powders made by Emerald Creek this week and played just a bit.  These are some way cool embossing powders!!!!!!!!!!

I die cut the Sizzix Gadget Gears 1 and 2 from Grungepaper and then tried some of the embossing powders.  The largest gear was embossed with Chunky Rust and I did 2 layers.  Looking at the card, both the top gear and the small one farthest to the right were embossed with Patina Oxide.  The small gear has one layer and the larger gear has two layers.  The other medium sized gear, black in color, was embossed with Rocky Road, just one layer.  The other small gear was embossed with Dirty Sand, just one layer.  Way Cool!!!!

For my background I started with a piece of Distress Mixed Media Heavystock paper cut 5 1/2" square.  I added a few colors of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint first applying the paint using a junk mail plastic card and then "stamping" on it using corrugated cardboard.  I put the paint on my craft sheet, spread it with my finger, pressed the corrugate in the paint and then onto my paper.  Next I embossed my piece with Vintage Beeswax and I put 3 layers on.  When I was doing the third layer I thought it might be cool to stamp into it and I chose a large background image (Wendy Vecchi, Vintage Mesh).  I inked the stamp with clear ink and then worked at heating the embossing powder but it was too hard to keep an area that large all hot. (I should have known that, duh).  Anyway I stamped the background but didn't get much of an impression but I did have the ink there and decided to add some powder.  I chose Rocky Road.  It worked really well.  I thought it might spread too much when I heated it but kept moving as it melted and it was very cool.  I also sprinkled on some Ancient Amber giving some nice metallic highlights.  Next I was laying on the gears and thinking about putting some words.  I thought I needed to lighten the background in the area I was putting the gears so stamped on top of the embossing using Fresco Finish Paint, again using the Vintage Mesh image.  

Now for the words.  I was trying to decide if I should layer them on or try to stamp them directly on or just what to do.  I chose a stamp from the Tim Holtz set, Life Quotes CMS227.  I wondered if I stamped it onto tissue paper if I could just melt the embossing powder and add the paper.  I stamped onto the new Tim Holtz Collage Paper Plain embossing the words with a detail White Powder and tore the paper around the words.  Then I thought it would probably be difficult to melt the powder and get the paper placed before the powder cooled so I thought I'd just glue it on.  I did this with Distress Collage Medium Matte.  I put the medium on the back of the paper, put it on my background and then put some on top of the paper at which point I thought, "oh, I could add embossing powder to the wet glue", so put on the Vintage Beeswax.  And then began melting it.  This was another Duh! moment.  The medium is acrylic and therefore will bubble if you heat it when it's not dry.  It did a bit but I was able to kind of press it back down as the powder cooled.  I did ink it and do another layer of the Vintage Beeswax.  The detail white embossing stayed very well, I'm sure because of the matte medium.  Over all I think it came out looking really cool.  The only thing that drives me crazy with it, is the words went a bit crooked.  Otherwise, I love it!!!  I attached all the gears with foam tape and then added an Idea-ology gear with a brad over the largest gear.

I've added some close-up pics below.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  Enjoy your day!!!

Hugs, Wanda

Thinking of You - Distress Oxides - Paste

Hello on this fine Saturday!!!  I have a card to share with you.  

The background is Distress Oxide Inks (Cracked Pistachio, Broken China, Fossilized Amber) and then Texture Paste (Glossy Transparent) through a Tim Holtz stencil.  I made the background back when I was first playing with the paste over oxides technique.  On this one the pasted areas didn't pop a lot from the rest and I was trying to figure out why.  After playing, it was then that I figured out you needed more layers of the oxides with water so that the surface had a lot of oxidation on it.  Since this one didn't pop as much and I wanted it o, I then sprayed the paper with Distress spray stain (Picked Raspberry), blotted it off, and dried it.  Finally I added some Distress Ink Weathered Wood with a blending tool.  To finish it off I've used A Way With Words Thinking of You (Elizabeth Craft Designs).  It's cut from white cardstock and then sprayed with Pearl Mica Spray (Ranger Ink).  Some scribbles, layering, and a flower to finish.

I hope you are having a good weekend!!

Hugs, Wanda

Discover Everyday Moments

 

Hello!!!  I watched a FB live video yesterday.  In it Tim Holtz is playing with alcohol inks and he did this really cool technique with plastic wrap.  I just had to try it!!!  I worked on white yupo and used the colors flamingo, patina, and amethyst.  Is that not way cool!!!!

I even had the time last night to turn it into a card.  I used all Stamper's Anonymous, Tim Holtz stamps for my card.  

On the alcohol ink panel I stamped the script from the new Entomology set (CMS328) in a few spots using Archival Ink Auqamarine, dried it, then stamped 3 of the moths with Archival Ink Jet Black and one also one of the borders from the new Ornate Trims set (CMS326).  The words are cut from one of the images on an older set, Stuff To Say (CMS110).

On the next piece I stamped a background from the set Botanical & Batik (CMS327).  I inked the image with Distress Oxide Ink Broken China and a little bit of Peacock Feathers, dried it, then added just a bit of other color with regular Distress Ink Picked Raspberry and Wilted Violet.

The last piece is black cardstock stamped with the other background of the same set using embossing ink and embossing it with Clear Detail Embossing Powder.  

I layers the pieces together as shown and attached them to a folded white card.  It's a little hard to see in the pictures but I also added lines around the words with a pink gel pen.

This was fun!!!  I recommend watching that FB live if you can and then having a play with the alcohol inks. I've always loved the alcohol inks and have had them for years.  It's great that they've been making a comeback and new colors are being added. 

I hope you're having a good day!!

Hugs, Wanda

If Kisses Were Snowflakes...

Hello.  This is an appropriate card for today as it is snowing outside.  We are only supposed to get 1-3 inches but we'll see what happens.

I started this card thinking about the challenge at Words 2 Craft By and then realized it also fit with this weeks Simon Says Monday Challenge.

Words 2 Craft By - A Blizzard of Kisses

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Whatever The Weather

I started with a piece of white card and added color with Distress Oxide Inks.  I put Broken China and Salty Ocean onto my craft sheet, sprayed them with water and dipped my paper into them... dried it, dipped again picking up the rest of the ink and dried it.  I then added just a hint of Picked Raspberry in the same way.  Next I added Ranger's Mica Spray Pearl in the same way - put it on the craft sheet and dipped my paper into it.  I love how that pearlescent catches the light.  I made sure the panel was very dry and used an anti-static bag on it before stamping and embossing the lips.  The lips are an old Noteworthy stamp.  I stamped them with Versamark ink and embossed them with Rangers Snowflake Tinsel powder.  I stamped the quote (Quietfire Design - If Kisses Were Snowflakes mounted stamp) with Archival Ink Jet Black using Tim's stamp platform so I could stamp it a few times to make it darker.  Finally I added white paint splatters.  I had die cut Let it Snow (Elizabeth Craft Designs by designer Suzanne Cannon) and also wanted to use it.  As I was trying to figure out my layout I decided it would be nice to cut my piece into 3 panels. After cutting it up I attached the 3 pieces to blue cardstock and attached my die cut words which I had cut from both blue and white and layered them together offset a bit.  I put an acrylic block on top and gave it time to be attached really well.  After I took the block off and was looking at it I noticed my mistake.  Can you see it?  I attached the bottom piece upside down.  I could not believe it!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh, the frustration!!  I almost through it away but decided to go ahead and finish it.  I attached it to a folded white card.  The metal snowflake is a Tim Holtz Idea-ology piece and I tied a piece of white fiber around it.  

I hope you like the card.  I don't think the upside down lips are too noticable.?.?  What do you think?  

Have a great day.

Hugs, Wanda

Acrylic Paint with an Acrylic Block

Good Monday to you!!!!  I'm over on the Quietfire Creations blog today with 2 cards and a tutorial for making these backgrounds.  I hope you have time to check it out!!!!!!!!!

It is Spring Fever...

Happy March 1st!!!  And also happy birthday to my husband!!  The sun is shining bright today with cool temps.  We had a taste of Spring on Tuesday with more coming in the next couple of days.  I'm sure Winter is not over but we sure have Spring fever.  

I decided to do a quick tag for the current PaperArtsy Topic/Challenge which is Watercolours. 

I've used a #8 Mixed Media Tag (Ranger).  I wet most of the tag leaving a small edge not wet and then came in with Gansai Tambi Pearl Colors in Pearl Pink and Pearl Lemon Yellow.  I also sprinkled in a little Are You Cerise Infusions into the pink areas and sprayed on a little more water.  I dabbed at the infusion crystals a bit with my finger and dried the tag.  The quote is from a new set of PaperArtsy Alison Bomber stamps #EAB06.  Around the edges I've stamped part of a flower image from the PaperArtsy Kay Carley set #EKC02.  All the stamping was done with Archival Ink Jet Black.  I used a white gel pen on the flowers.  I stitched around the tag with black thread.  The edges of the tag are embossed with Queen's Gold powder (Ranger).  The metal piece on the end of the tag is part of a Finnabair (Prima) piece.  It was silver but I used Florentine Treasure Gold to change that. The flower is 3 light colored Prima flowers colored using the Gansai Tambi Pearl Pink, stacked, a brad in the center, and crumpled a bit while drying.

A fun tag!!!   You can see how pearly it is in the next two pictures.

Thanks for following along!!  Hugs, Wanda